Even More Lack of Service at VH

Regular readers may remember the ‘Lack of Customer Services at VH’ thread I started in August last year following a total lack of response to several e-mails sent to VH. As a result of my letter to SRB’s office, the problem was solved - or so I thought. I received an apologetic phone call from a VH Customer Relations manager who gave me the e-mail address of 2 Frequent Virgin Team members for future use, in the unlikely event that there was another breakdown in communications.

Guess what? There has been another breakdown in communications[:(!]

On 11 Jan 06 I e-mailed FVC and got the automated response – very busy blah blah, could take up to 3 working days to reply to you blah blah. After that, nothing. On 16 Jan I tried the next contact up the line. Result – no reply. Three days later, 19 Jan 06, I tried the ultimate addressee, VH Sales&Ops Director. Result as at time of writing – no reply.[n]

OK, I could telephone. However, there is an e-mail system in place, so why do VH not accord their correspondents the courtesy of a reply?

So what next? Any suggestions guys?

(Mods/Admin - sorry can't seem to work out how to post the reference in the first line as a link).

{edited - preiffer : all done - click here to access the original}

Well that doesn't sound too good. What is the nature of your enquiry (complain, changing a booking,...,) if you don't mind me asking? It may well affect how one deals with it.

I complained about not seeing any reps on my last trip upon arrival and not being offered our advertised complimentary invites to Planet Hollywood.

My reply was a long first page blaming Virgin Atlantic[V], and then this and I quote,

We are sorry there was no representative to meet you upon arrival, we would however advise that Mears Transport inform us that they have checked their records and can confirm that you were assisted and recieved your arrival transfer to your hotel.


Doesn't that sound intersting, the truth of the matter is I was picked up by my prebooked Limo from "dixie Limo's" booked entirely seperately AND it even said on my holiday booking confirmation that I had opted for a private limo transfer and not Virgins complimentary transfer which I assume is mears.

So first they blame VA, then on my next point they say a company I never used, never booked nor needed has confirmed they looked after me.

[Decker]

Oooh someone somewhere has some explaining to do [:?][n]

Originally posted by sailor99
Well that doesn't sound too good. What is the nature of your enquiry (complain, changing a booking,...,) if you don't mind me asking? It may well affect how one deals with it.

Sailor:

Simple questions:

Why can't I book accom on your website for Boston for any date past Dec 05? Do I assume the facility is no longer available?

As I say, simple questions, especially as I can use the site to book accom in NYC for around the same time (May/Jun 06):D

(Thanks for the link, Paul)

Note to self: Check post accuracy before pressing button[:w]

Originally posted by Treelo

Simple questions:

Why can't I book accom on your website for Boston for any date past Dec 05? Do I assume the facility is no longer available?

Looks like it was just a system glitch

Just been on VH site - All Boston hotels can be booked up to Oct 06 now

Hope that helps

Still the lack of response for such a simple request is pretty poor. The only thing I can suggest, as you have tried all else, is escalate to SRB

Originally posted by Jon B

Originally posted by Treelo

Simple questions:

Why can't I book accom on your website for Boston for any date past Dec 05? Do I assume the facility is no longer available?

Looks like it was just a system glitch

Just been on VH site - All Boston hotels can be booked up to Oct 06 now

Hope that helps

Sorry Jon B, you got that wrong. I want to book accom only, not as part of a package.

Sailor:

Yep, looks like that's my next port of call:)

Doesn't that sound intersting, the truth of the matter is I was picked up by my prebooked Limo from "dixie Limo's" booked entirely seperately AND it even said on my holiday booking confirmation that I had opted for a private limo transfer and not Virgins complimentary transfer which I assume is mears.

Sounds like mr mears put in an invoice for the transfer anyway, the naughty so and so:D.

Originally posted by Jon B

Originally posted by Treelo

Simple questions:

Why can't I book accom on your website for Boston for any date past Dec 05? Do I assume the facility is no longer available?

Looks like it was just a system glitch

Just been on VH site - All Boston hotels can be booked up to Oct 06 now

Hope that helps

just looked at VH site and Accomodation only still not allowing bookings for anything other than Dec 05. I have been looking for accommodation for our June trip and believe that it has been this way for several weeks.

Originally posted by DWiles

just looked at VH site and Accomodation only still not allowing bookings for anything other than Dec 05. I have been looking for accommodation for our June trip and believe that it has been this way for several weeks.

Yes, that's the way I read it DWiles. My letter to SRB is currently under construction:D

Originally posted by Treelo

My letter to SRB is currently under construction:D

I think enough time has elapsed for VH to have responded to any/one/all of my 3 e-mails. Letter has now been despatched to SRB's office. I will post any reaction:)

Originally posted by Treelo

Letter has now been despatched to SRB's office. I will post any reaction:)

Advice please guys.

It is now almost three weeks since my communication winged its way south. For how long do I accept the lack of (even) a holding reply and, is there really any other avenue I can try[?]

my last reply took weeks, but was sent from Necker Island

Originally posted by Treelo
It is now almost three weeks since my communication winged its way south. For how long do I accept the lack of (even) a holding reply and, is there really any other avenue I can try[?]

STILL no reply @ 4+ weeks[n]

[Scrooge]

SRB isnt even in the country right now

Originally posted by jetwet1
SRB isnt even in the country right now

Thanks for that Dave. However, as the last reply to correspondence that I sent to SRB came from VS Customer Relations and stated:

"..................as much as Richard would like to respond
to his correspondence personally, he does rely on this
department to respond on his behalf."

Therefore, I fully expect a reply from the same source and don't see how his being out of the country would have any effect on the reply[?]

I think you are right to expect a response - have you still not had one on this issue?

[Scrooge]

Sorry john,I was trying to remember the thread without having to read it all again and I thought you had sent it directly to him.

Originally posted by jetwet1
Sorry john,I was trying to remember the thread without having to read it all again and I thought you had sent it directly to him.

Yes, Dave, I had. But then my original complaint last October also went direct to SRB (or so I thought). That's when I got the reply from Customer Relations.

Please don't apologise. I realise that this story has more twists and turns than Peyton Place:D

Sailor:

No response yet.

Originally posted by Treelo

Originally posted by jetwet1
Sorry john,I was trying to remember the thread without having to read it all again and I thought you had sent it directly to him.

Yes, Dave, I had. But then my original complaint last October also went direct to SRB (or so I thought). That's when I got the reply from Customer Relations.

Please don't apologise. I realise that this story has more twists and turns than Peyton Place:D

Now I would personally not admit to remembering PaytonPlace:D

I wrote to Sir R's management office address and got a reply direct from Necker Island, hand written[oo]

EGG

{mcuth: edited to tidy up quoting}

Originally posted by easygoingeezer

I wrote to Sir R's management office address and got a reply direct from Necker Island, hand written[oo]

EGG

Yes, EGG, so did I, I think (Campden Hill Road?) but the reply still came back from Crawley.

Originally posted by Treelo
STILL no reply @ 4+ weeks[n]

STILL no reply @ 5+ weeks[n] Any advice guys?

Originally posted by sammyhostie
Have you got confirmation that the letter was recieved?

Any correspondence addressed to Sales & Ops, RB or AW is replied to by Customer Relations anyway, so it would have been answered by now.

Send it by recorded delivery, or email it to [email protected]

You will recieve a response.

Thanks for that sammy. However, the main thrust of my complaint is that e-mails have not been replied to.

Please forgive my ignorance but who or what is AW[?]

Originally posted by sammyhostie
Hiya,

Amanda Wills, the MD.

Emails go get responded to you. I dont know the history on this topic so forgive me, but if you got a response from the first letter you sent, then wrote another email/letter in response to that, 28 days would start from date of reciept. You would not get acknowledgment of receipt of the letter/email, as under ABTA Code of Conduct regulations CR dont have to acknowledge a 2nd letter from a pax.

However, if it has been more than 28 days from the date they would have reiceved your second letter/email, and you have not heard anything, then what you should do is call CR on 0870 990 8830 Option 2, and speak to CR, give them your complaint reference or bookng number, they will check that your email/letter was actually recieved, and advise you of the status.


FVC actually do not handle complaints post departure, so anything addressed to them would get passed to CR. Actually anything at all addressed to anybody in the company will get passed to CR to answer on their behalf.

Thanks for the 'AW' info.

The thing is, because I don't have a reference (because nobody has had the grace to reply to me!)and the complaint has got absolutely nothing to do with a booking, I don't have a booking reference.

In a nutshell, and at the risk of becoming the planet's biggest bore, I e-mailed 3 people at VH: a FVC loyalty prog assistant; his/her supervisor; and then the Sales & Ops Director. Result - zero reply. That was when I wrote to Sir Richard and, as we stand, there is still no reply[:(!]